at the pictures on the box and turned it around a few times. “What is it?”
Abby went onto the floor beside her daughter. “It looks like Alethea and Marc sent you a spy kit.”
“That’s what we need, for her to see more of what’s going on in the house,” Dominic joked.
Judy clapped her hands together happily. “I’m going to be a spy when I grow up, just like Auntie Alethea. She’s so cool.”
“Not a princess like Auntie Zhang?” Nicole asked with humor.
Judy gave Nicole a look as if to say there was no comparison. “A princess wears a tiara and has to sit pretty. A spy gets to sneak around and look at everything.”
Abby looked over at Dominic. “Are we letting her spend too much time with Alethea and Marc?”
Judy was already onto the next present. “Uncle Jeremy sends the best gifts. Remember last year he gave me a robot that knew my name.” She ripped the present open and frowned. “It’s a button.” She looked at the words written on it and sounded them out. “Pr-ess h-ere. Press here.” Then she did.
All the cell phones in the room buzzed and started playing one of her favorite winter Disney songs. She pressed it again and they all switched to another Disney song. “That is so cool.”
“I’m going to kill him,” Dominic said as he looked at his phone and couldn’t figure out how to get the music to stop.
Judy brought a note over to Abby. “What does it say, Mom?”
“It says press the button again then take a picture of your father’s expression with someone’s phone and send it to Uncle Jeremy.”
Judy laughed and used her mother’s phone to take several photos, then she swiped back and forth between the best of them. “Which one do you like best, Dad?”
“You pick one, Princess.” Dominic looked at Abby and shook his head. “People used to fear me.”
Judy climbed back up onto his lap. “Why would anyone be afraid of you?” She hugged him. “You’re just a big, old, grumpy teddy bear.”
Dominic hugged his daughter to his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment, and Abby’s heart melted. Dominic had survived a hellish childhood and, unlike his father, he had not passed his rage on to his child. Watching him finally see that was the best Christmas present Abby had ever received.
Chapter Six
A week later Nicole was holding Stephan’s hand and mingling in the Andrade home in New York. She’d lost count of how many times she’d been hugged and congratulated on her pregnancy since Stephan and she had arrived. Instead of being overwhelmed as she had feared she’d feel, she basked in the warmth of their love.
Over the past week, she’d read and reread her father’s letter. His final words had given her what she had needed to set herself free from her fears. He had been an extremely troubled man, but he’d loved her. And Dominic had shown his love for her by facing the past. How could she be afraid, when her life was full of so many people who cared about her?
Stephan leaned down and said, “Tell me when you get tired and we’ll go.”
She hugged his arm to her. “I know I said I didn’t want to come this year, but I’m so glad we did. I wanted a Corisi Christmas, and I got one, but this is also my family. Thank you for understanding that this year I needed to heal one family before I could appreciate the other.”
He kissed her on the temple. “My Christmas will always be wherever you are, Nicole.” He looked down at her stomach. “You and our child. Without you, I wouldn’t be here, either. I was lost once, and you guided me back to my family. If you ever feel afraid again, don’t hide it. Reach for me because I’ll always be right here, beside you.”
Before Nicole had a chance to answer Stephan, his father, Victor, swung her away from him and off her feet into a hug. “Merry Christmas, Nicole.”
Stephan’s mother said, “Victor, put her down.” She shook her head. “Stephan, ever since you told us Nicole’s pregnant, your father
Abby went onto the floor beside her daughter. “It looks like Alethea and Marc sent you a spy kit.”
“That’s what we need, for her to see more of what’s going on in the house,” Dominic joked.
Judy clapped her hands together happily. “I’m going to be a spy when I grow up, just like Auntie Alethea. She’s so cool.”
“Not a princess like Auntie Zhang?” Nicole asked with humor.
Judy gave Nicole a look as if to say there was no comparison. “A princess wears a tiara and has to sit pretty. A spy gets to sneak around and look at everything.”
Abby looked over at Dominic. “Are we letting her spend too much time with Alethea and Marc?”
Judy was already onto the next present. “Uncle Jeremy sends the best gifts. Remember last year he gave me a robot that knew my name.” She ripped the present open and frowned. “It’s a button.” She looked at the words written on it and sounded them out. “Pr-ess h-ere. Press here.” Then she did.
All the cell phones in the room buzzed and started playing one of her favorite winter Disney songs. She pressed it again and they all switched to another Disney song. “That is so cool.”
“I’m going to kill him,” Dominic said as he looked at his phone and couldn’t figure out how to get the music to stop.
Judy brought a note over to Abby. “What does it say, Mom?”
“It says press the button again then take a picture of your father’s expression with someone’s phone and send it to Uncle Jeremy.”
Judy laughed and used her mother’s phone to take several photos, then she swiped back and forth between the best of them. “Which one do you like best, Dad?”
“You pick one, Princess.” Dominic looked at Abby and shook his head. “People used to fear me.”
Judy climbed back up onto his lap. “Why would anyone be afraid of you?” She hugged him. “You’re just a big, old, grumpy teddy bear.”
Dominic hugged his daughter to his chest. He closed his eyes for a moment, and Abby’s heart melted. Dominic had survived a hellish childhood and, unlike his father, he had not passed his rage on to his child. Watching him finally see that was the best Christmas present Abby had ever received.
Chapter Six
A week later Nicole was holding Stephan’s hand and mingling in the Andrade home in New York. She’d lost count of how many times she’d been hugged and congratulated on her pregnancy since Stephan and she had arrived. Instead of being overwhelmed as she had feared she’d feel, she basked in the warmth of their love.
Over the past week, she’d read and reread her father’s letter. His final words had given her what she had needed to set herself free from her fears. He had been an extremely troubled man, but he’d loved her. And Dominic had shown his love for her by facing the past. How could she be afraid, when her life was full of so many people who cared about her?
Stephan leaned down and said, “Tell me when you get tired and we’ll go.”
She hugged his arm to her. “I know I said I didn’t want to come this year, but I’m so glad we did. I wanted a Corisi Christmas, and I got one, but this is also my family. Thank you for understanding that this year I needed to heal one family before I could appreciate the other.”
He kissed her on the temple. “My Christmas will always be wherever you are, Nicole.” He looked down at her stomach. “You and our child. Without you, I wouldn’t be here, either. I was lost once, and you guided me back to my family. If you ever feel afraid again, don’t hide it. Reach for me because I’ll always be right here, beside you.”
Before Nicole had a chance to answer Stephan, his father, Victor, swung her away from him and off her feet into a hug. “Merry Christmas, Nicole.”
Stephan’s mother said, “Victor, put her down.” She shook her head. “Stephan, ever since you told us Nicole’s pregnant, your father
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